Nancy Eckerson: Winter running will do a body good

Sunday

Nov 27, 2011 at 3:15 AM

It is near the end of November, a good time to start thinking about a winter running plan. In our New England climate there are typically many days that make it difficult to go outside and run during the winter. Most runners incorporate some sort of running downtime with less mileage and fewer races on the schedule.

Downtime is good both physically and mentally, a rest for your body can keep you feeling that you want to run, rather than you have to run. The key is to find the right balance to maintain fitness while taking a break, which is not always clear-cut, so I have researched various strategies that might help.

Here's a good question — how much can you reduce your mileage during the winter but still maintain a high level of fitness? Most recommendations break the winter season in two phases — recovery and base building. The recovery phase lasts four to eight weeks with at least a 20 percent to 30 percent reduction in miles, and few high intensity sessions. Base building follows and coaches recommend building a solid aerobic base during this time by slowly upping overall mileage and adding long and tempo runs. It helps to schedule a winter race or two as motivation.

Once you have your mileage figured out, the next step is to plan to run outside as often as possible. The benefits of fresh air and sunlight are immense — it separates the 'I hate winter' people from the rest who enjoy it or at least tolerate it.

Dressing appropriately in layers is the first step. You want to start the run feeling a little cool so you don't overheat; a good rule is to dress as if the temperature is 20 degrees higher than it is. I live in an active area where neighbors do not mind if jackets and fleece are shed and left temporarily in their front yards.

When the weather is beautiful outside, running on a treadmill can feel like a sentence for bad behavior, but when it is not and especially if the roads are slippery, it can offer a safe haven. It does not have to be the 'dreadmill', and enjoying it starts with the right attitude — you get to run in shorts and a T-shirt and watch the snow fall outside.

I've read many recommendations to add a one or two percent incline setting on the treadmill to compensate for the lack of air resistance that you would experience when running outside. While it is true that all runners of any pace experience air resistance when running outside, studies show that this really only affects exceptionally fast runners who run at paces of 5:20/mile or faster. For the rest of us, it is inconsequential.

There are many treadmill specific workouts you can find online — last winter, I did mile repeats on the treadmill weekly. For example, after warming up, set the treadmill to a pace about 15 to 30 seconds slower than your 5K time and run a mile, then slow down and recover for half a mile. Repeat the process three to five times, each time increasing your mile pace by about 15 seconds. The speed work breaks up the running and is a great workout; you will likely be dripping in sweat by the end.

How does cross-training factor in? While it won't replace running, other aerobic work helps to maintain your overall fitness. Indoors, a lot of runners love the elliptical machine. Swimming and rowing work your upper body and gym classes are also options. I love to bike, so my indoor bike is my go-to option in the winter and I like to do intervals. Using an IPod, I vary high-intensity and low-intensity biking from song to song.

Outside options include snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, which are terrific workouts. Snowshoe racing has become increasingly popular among runners and other endurance athletes. There are snowshoes made specifically for racing that are smaller and lighter than traditional snowshoes. Locally, the Granite State Snowshoe Series consists of eight races of lengths from 5K and up, including the Kingman Farm Moonlight Snowshoe Race in Madbury which, as the name implies, takes place after dark with competitors wearing headlamps.

Speaking of after dark, with limited daylight in the winter, many runners find themselves fitting in runs before or after sunrise or sunset. Add to that slippery roads, snow banks and motorists who may or may not be distracted — winter running can have its challenges. In general, I think we live in a runner-friendly area, but it's important to dress in bright colors, with lights if it is dark, and to run where sidewalks and roads are cleared and well maintained. Even though I am writing this on a late November day that will reach 60 degrees, winter is coming.

For information on the Granite State Snowshoe Series, which begins Dec. 31, visit www.granitestatesnowshoeseries.org.

Running Notes: More than 2,300 ran The Portsmouth Turkey Trot 5K and Free Fall Classic 5K on Thanksgiving, a great turnout. I'd like to thank my three friends and their three dogs for our own Turkey Trot as well. I think those early morning miles kept me from seconds, but I am making no promises about leftovers.

Nancy Eckerson writes about running for Foster's Sunday Citizen. You can reach her at nerunner1@comcast.net..

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